Laetitia Olivier-Gargano
Laetitia’s practice is driven by a close survey of food, plants and everyday objects, through surreal
sculptural reimagining. By blurring the boundaries of complex yet recognisable forms her work
playfully incites both a sense of wonder and unease. These edible and domestic items speak
to deeply personal emotions, memories and associations. Her work often engenders bodily
responses from viewers due to their intense familiarity, yet complete absurdity. Our stomach turns,
and we want to look away, but curiosity stops us. It is this uncanny sensation and the universality
of it that her works make us aware of.
Laetitia is an emerging artist, currently based in Melbourne. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) from Monash University. Her work has been exhibited nationally at institutions such as Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Cement Fondu, Notfair and Firstdraft. Her work has also featured in Broadsheet, Artist Profile and Art + Australia journals. In 2019 Laetitia received the Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists, administered by NAVA. She undertook research in Japan, learning how to make their iconic plastic food samples. Laetitia’s practice often involves “hyper-surrealistic” resin cast sculpture, stop-motion animation and works on paper.
︎ contact@laetitiaoliviergargano.com
︎ @laetitia_oliviergargano
Education
2016 Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours), Monash University
2015 Bachelor of Fine Art, Monash University
Selected Exhibitions:
Solo
2022 Making sense of nonsense Stockroom Kyneton, Melbourne
2021
Sometimes when I feel empty, I eat a second breakfast. Firstdraft (Gallery 2), Sydney
2020 sometimeswhenifeelemptyieatasecondbreakfast.net (online)
2018 Warm Bodies, (Project Space) curated by Megan Monte and Josephine Skinner, Cement Fondu, Sydney
2015 Fleshrooms Link Wall Art space, Monash University Caulfield, Melbourne
2014 Flesh Runt Gallery, Monash University Caulfield, Melbourne
Group
2024 DISH, Town Hall Gallery, Boroondara Arts Centre, Melbourne
2021 Notfair 2021, curated by Sam Leach, Tony Loyd and Ashley Crawford, Windsor, Melbourne
2021 Backwoods 11yrs. Backwoods Gallery, Collingwood, Melbourne
2019 Knox Immerse, curated by Jodi Newcombe, Mountain High Shopping Centre, Melbourne
2019 The Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists, curated by Bella Cornell, UNSW Galleries, Sydney
2017 Notfair 2017, curated by Sam Leach, Ashley Crawford and Tony Lloyd, Windsor, Melbourne
2016 Windows XII The Dirty Dozen, Campbell Street Arcade, Melbourne
2016 Hatched: National Graduate Show 2016, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth
2015 MADA Now, Monash University Caulfield, Melbourne
2015 Small Works Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
Selected Projects:
2024 ‘Share a Plate’, Explore and Create space at Town Hall Gallery, Boroondara Arts Centre
2022 ‘Bite Size’, ProtoSHOP Brand X Creative Retail Residency
Awards:
2020 Sustaining Creative Workers Initiative, Creative Victoria
2019 The Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists administered by NAVA
2019 Short-listed for Maddocks Art Prize
2017 Special commendation for work in Notfair 2017, by judges Gareth Sansom, Anne Runhardt and Ashley Crawford
2015 Edith Rose Memorial Prize
2013 Monash University Fine Art Scholarship
Publications
2021 The Art Show with Daniel Browning, ‘Surrealists at sea, fake food, and the Beijing Silvermine’, ABC Radio National, broadcast 30th June 2021
2021 Laetitia Olivier-Gargano is counting (scare)crows, interview with Firstdraft Co-Director Karen Golland, Firstdraft June 2021
https://firstdraft.org.au/news/laetitia-olivier-gargano-is-counting-scarecrows
2019 Isla Sutherland, Knox Immerse Arts Festival, Broadsheet, 1st September 2019
2019 Erin McFadyen, Discovery - Laetitia Olivier-Gargano, Artist Profile, Issue #47 2019
2018 Emma-Kate Wilson, Warm Bodies curated by Megan Monte and Josephine Skinner, Art + Australia, 6th October 2018
2016 Anna Dunnill, Hatched: National Graduate Show 2016, Art Guide, 9th June 2016